"The significance of this document may be more sociological
than legal. It provides a rare window into the thinking and intent
of the hierarchy's highest eschelons.

Often bishops excuse and defend their mishandling of molestation cases
by claiming "We just didn't know. We didn't really understand."
But this document shows that the highest ranking church officials, even
four decades ago, did in fact have a clear sense of how damaging abuse
by clergy is, and how critical it is to keep it hidden.

Some high ranking church officials maintain that this policy has since
been 'superceded' by other changes in church policies in 1983 and 2001.
Even granting this, it's hard to feel comfort in the fact that, for at
least 20 years, the official Vatican policy apparently was 'keep sex crimes
by priests a secret.'

And if, in fact, real changes were made in 1983 and 2001, why have we
see so little improvements in how abuse cases have been handled by church
leaders over this time span? On paper, policy changes have been made;
but functionally, the emphasis on secrecy and cover up continues to this
day.

Other church leaders, including Phoenix Archbishop Michael Sheehan, assert
"the use of this document . . .is misleading. . ."

This is a lengthy document written decades ago in another language by
officials in another country. Some phrases, therefore, have no doubt been
misinterpreted.

Still, its overriding theme seems clear: keep sex crimes by clergy secret
at all cost. Sadly, even today, we see that this obsession with secrecy
still very much in force throughout much of the church's hierarchy."